Group urges Govt to leave carbon tax alone in the Budget

The Government is being warned against hiking the carbon tax on solid fuels in the upcoming Budget.

The Solid Fuel Trade Group says any further levies would be detrimental to more than 600,000 people who depend on the likes of coal and briquettes to heat their homes.

According to St Vincent de Paul, around 374,000 people living below the poverty line went without heating due to affordability issues last year.

The chairman of the Climate Change Advisory Council has advised that the tax should be increased from €20 per tonne of carbon produced to €30.